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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: clip · squash · game · firm · face · calf · tube · temple

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. squash — the sport
  3. tube — a container
  4. firm — decided
  5. firm — steady
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. clip — to cut
  11. clip — a video
  12. game — wild animals
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. face — to confront
  17. squash — to crush
  18. firm — a company
  19. face — to point toward
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. face — part of the head
  22. game — a match
  23. clip — for paper
  24. tube — the underground

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com